Nevada body favors Manny on testing

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao and the powerful Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) are on the same page when it comes to blood-testing.

That blood should not be drawn from boxers very close to a fight because, according to a medical analysis, it may cause “hematomas, infections or other injuries.”

Fanhouse boxing editor Lem Satterfield yesterday reported on the results of an NSAC hearing regarding the testing for steroids or other illegal substances, favoring Pacquiao over Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s demand for random blood-testing Olympic style, one that would require blood being drawn “all the way to the fight.”

Dr. David Watson, the former chief ringside physician, said the negative effects of blood-testing can take place if it is conducted “within three weeks of a fight.”

In the failed negotiations for the Pacquiao-Mayweather superfight, supposed to have taken place last March 13, the undefeated American insisted on blood-testing 14 days before the fight. The Filipino pound-for-pound king said he can’t do it nearer than 24 days.

Recently, however, Pacquiao softened up on his stand just to get the fight done, saying he’d do it 14 days before and right after the fight. Then reports came out that Mayweather’s new demand was to have it done “all the way to the fight” and it could mean on the eve or the day of the fight itself.

The NSAC, through its executive director, Keith Keizer, couldn’t find the reason for this.

“Dr. Watson has done thousands of weigh-in physicals and done thousands of fights. He’s viewed tons of medical records. What Dr. Watson was kind of saying was that on some occasions with fighters, he would notice hematomas on the inside of the elbow where they gave blood,” he was quoted by Fanhouse as saying.

This could be the reason why the USDA (Doping Agency) stopped drawing blood from Mayweather and Shane Mosley at least 18 days before their May 1 encounter which the former won with pretty much ease.

The NSAC position now means that Pacquiao and Mayweather should agree to blood-testing probably no closer than three weeks to the fight, if ever the fight, being pushed for Nov. 13, takes place.

The Fanhouse article said Mayweather submitted blood and urine samples on March 22, April 1, April 13 and then on the night directly after the fight, and urine only on April 3, April 6, April 21 and April 24. Mosley had blood and urine drawn on March 23, March 31, April 12 and directly after the bout on fight night, and urine only on April 3, April 6, April 21 and April 24.

“Well, I’m not a doctor, but you have to realize that a fighter uses his arms a lot like a runner uses his legs. You can’t take blood too close to the fight. Two or three weeks before the fight he can get a hematoma which can prevent him from either training or fighting,” said Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum.

“If it’s done further out before the fight, then there’s no real problem. But closer to the fight, there’s a real problem. For a fighter to lose the last week in training or the week before the fight is a disaster for a fighter. That could happen if he gets a hematoma in the arm that’s used for the blood test. USDA, whatever, they might say, must have recognized this, and I believe that that’s why they didn’t test for blood before 18 days.”